CNN launches live streaming to iPad, iPhone

CNN and secondary network HLN are joining the TV Everywhere fiesta with live streaming in the US to CNN.com and the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, beginning immediately.

The reach of teh new service will cover about 50 million households, and will be accessible both inside and outside of the home.

CNN is the first news organization to embrace multiscreen. But shunning an a la carte approach, CNN/HLN is going the route of HBO Go, and users must log on with their cable, satellite or IPTV operator credentials. Participating carriers include AT&T, Comcast, Cox, DISH Network, Suddenlink and Verizon.
Notably absent is No. 2 U.S. cable MSO Time Warner Cable, and Cablevision-- both of which have their own iPad apps for streaming live TV, including CNN and HLN. The cableco apps, however, are only accessible within the home zone, and therein, says CNN, lies the difference.

"CNN is taking a significant step forward by offering live CNN and HLN TV to our audiences whether they are on their couches at home or have their toes in the sand on the beach," said KC Estenson, general manager of CNN Digital, in a statement. "The 10 million users who have downloaded CNN's mobile apps and the tens of millions of people who get the latest news and information from CNN.com every day will soon be able to watch CNN TV on every device they have."

Just in time for the launch, CNN.com has debuted its new video experience, which integrates live network TV into a larger and higher-quality video player, capable of delivering HD. It optimises the video quality for a user based on the Internet connection, and video can be minimised in the frame to allow a user to browse through curated CNN video collections and TV show clips without leaving the video experience.

In addition to the live streams of CNN's networks, the video experience will continue to offer up to four live streams of breaking news and events, original video series and on-demand video clips with related CNN and HLN show information.

The CNN App for iPad and CNN App for iPhone and iPod touch are available for free from the Apple App Store.